Corys are too shy

[Laser]

I never see my corys and it's getting pretty old. I had 3 corys in a 20 in the past and I saw them way more than I saw these. I have 10 corys in my tank, 5 bronze and 5 violettas and all they do is hide in the back huddled around the sponge filter. There are plenty of hiding places for them and they don't even use those, they just pile up together in one tight spot. After they spawned and had over 30 cory fry I grew them out to juvenile size in the same tank as the parents and the original 10 still never came out of hiding even though the fry were swimming all over the place. I really like corys but I want a fish I can see. I'm thinking about giving them away.

There tankmates are 3 pearl gouramis, 23 neon tetras, 18 lambchop rasboras, and 6 ottos.

 

[herp_mommy]

what are their tank mates? I have 6 in a discus tank, and they always hid until I got two apistogramma borelli, now they're swimming out and about. Probably because there are more fish close to their size.

 

[Mrc8858]

Have you tried rescaping the tank. This may help but as they say even within the same species you can find different characteristics so you very well may have just bred shy corys which I could see the frustration in lol

 

[Laser]

Have you tried rescaping the tank. This may help but as they say even within the same species you can find different characteristics so you very well may have just bred shy corys which I could see the frustration in lol

Yeah, I've rescaped the tank once but it did not help. LOL, yeah I've never had corys this shy.

 

[LyndaB]

What substrate do you have? Temperature (mine will hide if too warm)? Keep up with your water changes?

If you feed frozen food like plankton and shrimp, you'll see more activity.

 

[Laser]

What substrate do you have? Temperature (mine will hide if too warm)? Keep up with your water changes?

If you feed frozen food like plankton and shrimp, you'll see more activity.

This tank has smooth gravel and the temp is 78 degrees. I feed them frozen brine shrimp every other day and they do come out for that.

 

[Samzter]

Hmm, I've never had this problem. What tank are they in?

 

[LyndaB]

You might want to try giving them various foods. Mine go nuts over algae wafers. The frozen foods make them spawn more. They love flake food, too. Variety is the spice of life!

Frozen foods might be too rich for them on a daily basis, too, because it is high protein.

 

[aoessand]

I first got mine had gravel, i never ever saw them unless they was swimming to their second hide spot. made the switch to sand and they just exploded with life...

 

[Laser]

It's a 55g and I have thought about switching to sand. They seem to come out the most for frozen food and the NLS sinking .5 mm pellets. Omega algae wafers and shrimp pellets they will eat but not while I'm watching.

 

[LyndaB]

I first got mine had gravel, i never ever saw them unless they was swimming to their second hide spot. made the switch to sand and they just exploded with life...

I have to agree, with sand you'd see a totally different behavior because they'd be more comfortable. Even with smooth gravel, it's possible they're in a low level of pain from scavenging on a hard surface.

 

[Laser]

Thanks everyone, I'll consider getting some sand.

 

[Samzter]

Thanks everyone, I'll consider getting some sand.

Sand is great ! I love mine! Plus it keeps my Cories happy. pool filter or play sand is highly recommended on here.

 

[Laser]

Most of my tanks have pool filter sand, but this was the first one I set up and it has stayed gravel. I like the PFS, but I don't like how it shows fish waste, it just kind of sits there on top.

 

[ktulu909]

but I don't like how it shows fish waste, it just kind of sits there on top.

Thats why I prefer it,no gravel vacuuming.Just throw the vac in the tank and it only takes a second to clean.

 

[1 LARA]

from gravel to sand helped my nitrates which was a good side affect from the main purpouse of getting it which was for the Corys.Always see them take sand in their mouth and sift it out their gills. Helps them keep the tank cleaner.When I use my gravel vacuum I dig in the sand and it lifts the sand just enough too clean it and make little mountains and the tank gets really active after that.